LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday gave one week to a Punjab government’s lawyer to file reply to a petition challenging the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as principal secretary to Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

At the outset of the hearing, Additional Advocate General Akhtar Javed requested the court to allow two weeks to submit a reply on behalf of the government. He said several notifications and documents were needed to be placed on record.

Opposing the request of the law officer, Advocate Mian Dawood, the counsel for the petitioner, argued that the respondent principal secretary had been exerting pressure on the chief secretary and other bureaucrats illegally.

He pointed out that the respondent got the development budget of his native district Mandi Bahauddin increased massively within a few days from Rs3 billion to Rs31bn.

The counsel contended that the chief secretary twice requested the federal government for his transfer owing to the ‘illegal’ pressure by the respondent.

Justice Anwaar Hussain observed that the court would look into these issues after the submission of the government’s reply.

The judge turned down the request of the law officer for two-week time and directed him to submit the reply within a week.

A citizen filed the petition pleading that the appointment of Mr Bhatti against the important post of CM’s principal secretary was a violation of the Constitution. He said an officer serving in one service cadre cannot be posted in another.

The petitioner also said two notifications were issued for the appointment of Mr Bhatti -- first, a simple notification of transfer and posting and another about his posting on deputation.

Both notifications were issued before Elahi was sworn in as chief minister, he stated.

The petitioner also said that an “uneducated person” had been appointed as the head of highly-educated government officials that was unfair, requesting the court to nullify the appointment.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2022